Two sisters try to cope on their own after an apocalyptic event in Into the Forest. Nell (Ellen Page) and Eva (Evan Rachel Wood) are two sisters who live in an isolated house by a forest with their father Robert (Callum Keith Rennie). Suddenly one evening, the power unexpectedly goes out, with reports saying that it has happened all over the country. When a tragic accident leaves the girls on their own, Nell and Eva must struggle to survive in an increasingly dire world.
Into the Forest is a film directed by Patricia Rozema (Mansfield Park, I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing), adapted from the novel by Jean Hegland. The film is an apocalyptic story that does not really focus on the apocalypse. All that is really known by the characters in the film is that there is no more power, with everything else being merely rumour. Nell and Eva try their best to survive the situation they are in, though with limited supplies and a single tank of gas, the relationship between these sisters gets testing as the weeks and months go by.
Into the Forest is a film that is dependent almost entirely on the performances by Ellen Page and Evan Rachel Wood. While there are some other characters in the film, such as the girls’ father and Nell’s boyfriend Eli (Max Minghella), the film is ultimately about the relationship between these two sisters as they have to learn to cope with this apocalyptic situation. This makes Into the Forest and interesting character study, even though there are times when there is drama for drama’s sake, including one sudden and disturbing event. Altogether, Into the Forest is not a perfect film, but it gets by on the performances by its two female leads.
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